President Trump cannot sanitize slavery history out of American museums | Opinion
Trump wrong to sanitize slavery history
The Trump administration wants to minimize a major piece of U.S. history — slavery — that spanned more than 250 years.
Trump has ordered the Smithsonian Institution to revise historical exhibits on slavery to put a more positive spin on an institution that caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Black Americans, the dismemberment of the Black family structure over several generations, and denied equal education, job opportunities and the ability to buy property and build wealth for several generations.
The horrific atrocities of slavery have been thoroughly and fairly documented by nonpartisan historians.
It is ironic that this assault comes from an administration that has elevated scores of grossly unqualified people, overwhelmingly white, to the highest-ranking jobs in his administration, giving birth to a new acronym: WEI — white, entitled and incompetent.
The Republican mayor of Oklahoma City recently pushed back against the vague and unsupported attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
“We’ve been hearing a lot of talk that portrays the drive for equal opportunity as a form of reverse discrimination,” said Mayor David Holt. “Sometimes this language is cloaked in patriotism, but it is really just repackaged bigotry, misogyny and racism.”
Holt nails it.
Mike Reddin, Fresno
Biden created more jobs
A February 2024 NBC News poll found that Trump held a 20-point lead over Biden in managing the economy. However, the Biden administration averaged 217,000 jobs gained in the last four months of 2024, while Trump has averaged 30,750 jobs gained in the last four months. When there were only 22,000 jobs gained in August, he fired the labor statistics commissioner and accused her — without evidence — of manipulating the numbers to undermine his administration. I wonder why the American people thought in 2024 that Trump was good for job creation? And then I recall that only one person was constantly talking about how good he is on economic issues. But I also recall that he has had six corporate bankruptcies, vowed to end the Russia-Ukraine War on Day 1, vowed to only deport “the worst of the worst” undocumented criminals but is deporting most with no criminal records.
He averaged 21 false or misleading statements every day during his first term, according to a comprehensive analysis by The Washington Post’s fact checker. And it should be mentioned that Trump takes credit for jobs created by Biden’s infrastructure bill, which he said was a “loser” when it was being voted on.
Stephen Sacks, Fresno
Farm to School grants teach children
The USDA’s new Farm to School grants are more than just funding — they’re a chance to transform how children eat and how they think about food. Imagine school cafeterias filled with fresh, local fruits and vegetables, offering meals that are vibrant, delicious, and entirely plant based. This is about more than nutrition. It’s about teaching kids that what’s on their lunch tray can protect their health, safeguard our planet, and show compassion for animals — all at once. What better legacy could we give the next generation than the knowledge that food can be both kind and powerful? Farm to School programs don’t just connect classrooms to local farms; they can set the standard for what compassionate, sustainable eating looks like. If schools seize this moment, students will carry forward the lesson that every meal is a chance to make the world better. That’s a change worth fighting for.
Will Finnibrec, Fresno
No way is high-speed rail a success
In regards to the high speed rail editorial submitted Sept. 11, I take issue with the label of "success" given to a project that is as much a runaway train as a real runaway train. The idea that of a project finally reaching profitability somehow erases years of problems is laughable. Profitability is not directly correlated to success. I turn to cult classic movies that bombed at their box office. "It's a Wonderful Life,” "The Thing," "Fight Club." Failure to produce money, but a good product nonetheless. On the flip side take “Star Wars: Episode IX.” A horrendous product made profitable by hype and prestige of IP alone. Profitable to Disney, but widely considered a failure of the Star Wars franchise. Point being, it would be wrong to say a change in the plan to the California High Speed Rail to start accumulating profits sooner rather than later is anything more than a scramble to salvage a doomed project. And not doomed as in non-functional, but doomed as in a functional product that will still be considered a failure for years to come.
Luke Moster, Fresno
Protect women’s sports
I disagree with the Fresno Bee’s recent article urging California to “defend transgender athletes.”
Although the article frames this as a matter of equality, it ignores the real fairness and safty concerns faced by biological female athletes. The Title IX was created to ensure that women and girls have equal opportunities in sports. So by allowing biological males to compete, it undermines the purpose.
Physical differences in strength, size and endurance can’t be erased by identity, making it unfair for girls who train tirelessly and yet lose to athletes with inherent biological advantages. This isn’t about discrimination, but about preserving a level playing field. Women’s sports exist precisely because biological differences matter. So to pretend otherwise it disregards decades of progress women have made toward equal recognition in athletics.
Therefore, the state of California should not jeopardize billions in federal education funding to defend a policy that erases fairness for female athletes. This is because equality should not come at the expense of another group of students.
If we truly want to uphold the Title IX, then we must protect the integrity of women’s sports instead of compromising them.
Wendy Valencia, Selma
FCC chairman violates U.S. Constitution
Federal Communications Commision (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr’s actions around the Jimmy Kimmel suspension are beyond the pale. The American people saw him violate his oath to protect and defend the U.S. Constitution as he overtly threatened and intimidated broadcasters into silencing free speech. It’s the same oath that you and I took on numerous occasions throughout our careers in service to our government. Regardless of which party holds power in D.C., the federal government shall not be in the business of censoring differing opinions. Summon Chairman Carr to Capitol Hill and demand answers for his abuse of office.
Stephen Tarr, Hanford
Editor’s note: Stephen Tarr is retired from the Navy. He copied his congressional representative, Republican David Valadao, with this letter.
This story was originally published September 28, 2025 at 5:30 AM.